Replacing This Default Android App Can Speed Up Your Phone

Google's Android operating system and its built-in applications have become more refined over time; however, some of these apps can take up significant amounts of storage, memory, and background resources. According to Android Police, one such app is Google Chrome, which is preinstalled on many Android phones and frequently set as the default browser for users who do not change it.

Chrome has been enhanced with more features, but this has also led to it consuming more storage and system resources. The browser carries out background tasks for features like analytics, syncing, and other services, while websites can also become heavier due to ads, trackers, and scripts. On older or less powerful phones, this additional workload can slow down performance or cause occasional stuttering.

Moreover, Chrome can accumulate up to 1GB or more of storage, depending on cached files, browsing data, and usage.

A limitation of Chrome on Android is the lack of support for traditional browser extensions, similar to desktop Chrome. This prevents users from installing popular ad-blocking extensions directly onto the mobile browser. The presence of heavy advertising and tracking scripts can cause websites to run slower, leading to increased data and battery usage.

As an alternative, Android Police recommends Firefox Focus, a browser designed to be lightweight and privacy-focused. It automatically blocks many trackers and maintains separate browsing sessions. However, this browser is not ideal for users who require persistent tabs, login sessions, and browsing history, as it clears these upon session closure.

Samsung Internet is another alternative mentioned, supporting content-blocking add-ons and offering more control over ads and trackers. It also tends to be relatively efficient, especially on Samsung devices.

Switching to a lighter browser can free up storage space on Android devices. For example, on a Pixel 9 Pro XL, switching away from Chrome reportedly freed around 300MB to 500MB compared with using Chrome. The exact amount saved will depend on how much cached data Chrome has amassed. While removing or disabling Chrome may not solve every Android phone's performance issues, Android Police's findings suggest that switching to a more efficient browser can help users reclaim storage and potentially improve responsiveness.